We ought to be cautious in taking even the best ascertained opinions and practices of the primitive Church for our own. If it coul...d be satisfactorily shown that they esteemed it authorized and transmitted forever, that does not settle the question for us. We know how inveterately they were attached to their Jewish prejudices, and how often even the influence of Christ failed to enlarge their views. On every other subject succeeding times have learned to form a judgement more in accordance with the spirit of Christianity than was the practice of the early ages.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

It is manifest therefore that they who have sovereign power, are immediate rulers of the church under Christ, and all others but s...ubordinate to them. If that were not, but kings should command one thing upon pain of death, and priests another upon pain of damnation, it would be impossible that peace and religion should stand together.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

The New Testament is an invaluable book, though I confess to having been slightly prejudiced against it in my very early days by t...he church and the Sabbath-school, so that it seemed, before I read it, to be the yellowest book in the catalogue. Yet I early escaped from their meshes. It is hard to get the commentaries out of one's head and taste its true flavor.... It would be a poor story to be prejudiced against the Life of Christ because the book has been edited by Christians. In fact, I love this book rarely, though it is a sort of castle in the air to me, which I am permitted to dream.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

What I ask of American Christianity is not to show us more creeds, but more of Christ; not more rites and ceremonies, but more rel...igion glowing with love and replete with life,--religion which will be to all weaker races an uplifting power, and not a degrading influence. Jesus Christ has given us a platform of life and duty from which all oppression and selfishness is necessarily excluded. While politicians may stumble on the barren mountains of fretful controversy and ask in strange bewilderment, "What shall we do with the weaker races?" I hold that Jesus Christ answered that question nearly two thousand years since. "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do you even so to them."LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

The annexation to the United States of the adjacent parts of the continent both north and south, seems to be, according to the phr...ase of 1844, our "manifest destiny." I am not in favor of artificial stimulants to this tendency. But I think I see plainly that it is now for the interest of both Canada and the United States that properly and in order, and with due regard to the feelings of Great Britain, the two countries should come under one government. If it were known that we would probably pay the whole or part of the Canadian debts, or would assume to pay them, would it not stimulate the feeling in favor of annexation in Canada?LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the sc...riptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

Soon, in all parts of our country, in each neglected village, or new settlement, the Christian female teacher will quietly take he...r station, collecting the ignorant children around her, teaching them habits of neatness, order and thrift; opening the book of knowledge, inspiring the principles of morality, and awakening the hope of immortality. Soon her influence in the village will create a demand for new laborers, and then she will summon from among her friends at home, the nurse for the young and sick, the seamstress and the mantuamaker; and these will prove her auxiliaries in good moral influence, and in sabbath school training. And often as the result of these labors, the Church will arise, and the minister of Christ be summoned to fill up the complement of domestic, moral and religious blessing.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »

The Church seems to totter to its fall, almost all life extinct. On this occasion, any complaisance would be criminal which told y...ou, whose hope and commission it is to preach the faith of Christ, that the faith of Christ is preached.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »